The invention relates to a spinning machine having a plurality of spinning units arranged next to one another, which are each equipped with wind-up arrangements for the winding-up of cross-wound packages, and having spool and package changing devices which can be moved between the spinning units and a tube changing station and which each carry along a magazine for empty spools and which contain devices for the ejecting of a cross-wound package from a wind-up arrangement and for inserting an empty tube into the wind-up arrangement.
In the case of a spinning machine having a plurality of spinning units arranged next to one another on both sides of the machine, it is known from German Published Unexamined Patent Application (DE-A) 27 37 645, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,513, to equip each side of the machine with a movable device for changing spools and packages which is assigned to only this side of the machine. A common tube changing station is assigned to these two independently movable devices for changing spools and packages, which is arranged at one machine end and fills the magazines of the devices for changing spools and packages with tubes. If very high delivery speeds are used and/or relatively small cross-wound packages are produced, there is the risk that the capacity of these devices for changing spools and packages is not sufficient so that idle times will occur at the machine.
It is also known (Neues aus der Technik, Year 1976, No. 6, Dec. 1, 1976, Page 4) to provide two or several identical movable servicing devices on one side of a spinning machine which are not assigned to any specific number of spinning units. In the case of this construction, it must be expected that the servicing devices meet at arbitrary points of the machine, so that arrangements are mounted at the servicing devices by means of which a mutual pushing-off of the servicing devices takes place as soon as they run against one another.
An object of the invention is to develop a spinning machine with spool and package changing devices of the initially mentioned type in such a manner that the spool and package changing devices are not overstressed even at high spool or package speeds and/or by small spool or packages sizes.
This object is achieved in that two spool and package changing devices are provided for one side of the machine which can be moved over half the length of the machine and to each of which a separate tube loading station is assigned.
This construction provides two spool and package changing devices which are completely independent of one another, each servicing one half of the machine and to which separate loading devices are also assigned. This type of a construction is particularly suitable for a spinning machine in which the spinning units are arranged only on one side of the machine. This construction results in the additional advantage that the two spool and package changing devices and the tube loading stations may have a practically identical construction, so that the expenditures remain acceptable.
In an expedient development of the invention, it is provided that the tube loading stations are, in each case, arranged at the machine end. In this case, it is also advantageous for the tube loading stations to be arranged spatially above the magazine of the respective spool and package changing device. As a result, it becomes possible to move the magazines of the spool and package changing devices directly under the tube loading stations and to take over the empty tubes.
In a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention, it is provided that the tube loading stations are constructed as devices which can be moved away from the machine. In another embodiment, it is provided that the tube loading stations have a tube magazine which can be separated from a delivery device mounted stationarily on the machine. In both cases, it is possible to load the tube magazines of the tube loading stations at a point which is separate from the machine, in which case, this may be carried out by means of a loading device which is intended for a plurality of tube loading stations of this type.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.